Maybe He Changed
by sarahjean456
Summary: What happens if, when Jess came to Yale and asked Rory to go with him, she said yes? This is everything that happened after she said yes. From a trip to New York, to back to Stars Hollow, Jess and Rory have their work cut out for them.
1. Chapter 1

"Come with me!"

"I can't!" Rory cried in frustration.

"Yes, you can!"

"No," she bellowed, "I can't. I have Yale a life and-"

"We belong together Rory, it took me a while to figure that out, but I love you and I know you love me-"

"No I don't," Rory said, feeling herself get red in the face with all the fighting.

"Don't say that unless you really mean it!"

For a moment it looked as though Rory might say no, but she gave him a helpless, caught look and lowered her eyes, unable to stare at him any longer.

"Come with me," he repeated softer. "Let's just go somewhere, anywhere for the summer, just get out of here for now. We don't need to tell anyone where we'll be going or anything. Just let's go. You and me."

"I-"

"Don't say you can't Rory Gilmore because you can, I know you want to, I see it. Just come with me for a week, two weeks tops. Let's just get away from Yale and Dean and you mother and Stars Hollow."

"Jess, I don't know…" Rory said, defeat gliding into her voice. Jess tried not to smile as he realized he had already convinced her to come with him, just be not giving up.

"I'll get you back in time for your mother's opening," he promised, taking her hand. Rory looked up at him for maybe the first time since he got here and shook her head.

"I can't Jess. I want you to go."

"Rory-"

"I said get out Jess! Just leave me alone!" she cried, rushing into her bedroom and slamming the door. She leaned against it and let herself cry because she had almost caved. She had almost slipped right back where she had been a year before. It wasn't hard to see, she still loved him. She would always love him. It was Jess.

Sure, she had loved Dean but she never thought of sleeping with him, she never want that with him. She couldn't stop thinking about it with Jess, however. It consumed her thoughts sometimes. What would he look like without a shirt on? What would his skin feel like against her own? These thoughts, though embarrassing to think about during the day, haunted her, in class, on the bus, when she was at Friday night dinners, during the quiet of the Gilmore home. But most of all, they came out when she was near him. It would take all of her self control not to rip off her clothes and just do it already, to see what it would be like.

No, Jess was no Dean, but maybe that was why she loved him so much. He wasn't the best boyfriend in the world, and had made a considerable amount of mistakes, but she loved him. She imagined a life with him, a library full of books, dark haired, blued eyed children that got her wit and his smarts. That was what she wanted.

She wanted Jess and she was about to lose him.

The door to her dorm shut quietly as Jess left, feeling as though his entire body weighed more than it actually did. For one wild moment he was sure he had gotten to her, he was sure she was going to give up her life here and go away with him. For one wild moment he was sure everything would be perfect. Maybe he was foolish for thinking such things. He slowly trudged back to his car, leaning against it for a moment.

Rory looked around her room. "What am I doing?" she asked her aloud, her voice echoing. "What am I DOING?" She took a deep breath and then something inside of her snapped. "I need to get him!" She grabbed her duffle bag, stuffed with clothes that had been packed for easy access and ran out her room, scribbling a barely readable note for Paris and ran out of the apartment.

"Jess!" she cried. Looking around wildly, feeling her heart begin to beat out of control. "Jess!"

Jess hit his head against the back of his seat and reached into his pocket for the car keys. With one last pause he placed the key into the ignition. Just as he was about to turn it, he heard a tapping on the passenger side window. He turned wildly and there she was, standing there looking awkward and flushed.

Rory had seen his car under the streetlamp and ran there with all her speed, thinking of all the horrible things that could happen at that moment. That he could drive away and she would never see him again. As she approached his car she felt a whoosh of excitement as she realized what she was about to do. She was about to reintroduce him into her life, let him back into the same spot he had broken only a year before.

"Can I get in?" she asked, pointing at the seat next to him.

Jess looked up at her, afraid to blink and have her disappear. She shifted the bag over her arm and waited for him to reply.

"Yeah," he said, trying to keep the quiver out of his voice. He reached over and unlocked the door, watching without breathing as she slipped in and threw the bag into the back of the seat. Without smiling she looked back over at him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, placing some loose hair behind her ear.

"I was thinking New York for a bit. Maybe the Grand Canyon?"

"Sounds good," she said, looking down at her hands. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. You?"

She finally looked at him, her eyes telling him everything her mouth wouldn't. He could see she was petrified to be sitting with him and that she was so afraid of what he might do to her again, of what might happen if she allowed him back. He mentally cursed himself for making her think so.

"Rory, I am so sorry," he said softly. "You have to believe me when I say that. I was stupid and foolish and so damn angry at everything that I ran away. It was stupid and I hate myself for hurting you."

"Uh, huh," she said vaguely, staring out the window again. "If we want to get to the Grand Canyon by Monday we need to start driving."

Jess felt a dull sense of hurt prick him but pushed it away quickly. She's here, he reminded himself, at least that's something. "Right," he said, starting the car and pulling out of the lot. They drove through the rest of Connecticut easily enough, stopping in Rhode Island for a bathroom break and some food.

"Cheetos?" Jess asked, loading up his arms with everything he thought Rory might like. She nodded and headed to the back of the store to the bathrooms, which were in dyer need of cleaning. He almost laughed at the look of disgust that crossed her face as she opened the door and stepped in.

She still isn't comfortable around me, Jess thought to himself as he paid for everything he had picked up. She still doesn't trust herself…or me, he thought as an afterthought.

"That comes to forty-nine, seventy-seven."

"Jesus," Jess said in surprise looking down. He paid and was handed three bags of goods, all weighing more than him. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," the girl behind the register said sarcastically before picking up her magazine and reading again. He glared at her and walked over to the door waiting for Rory. After ten minutes when she didn't come out, he walked over to the bathroom.

"Rory?" he called, knocking on the door.

Rory jumped and tore here eyes away from the mirror.

"Sorry, I'll be out in a second."

"Alright."

He worried about me, she thought to herself. He thinks I'm not alright with this.

Rory thought over the events that had happened in the last hour. She had been saved by her disastrous date, set up by Emily, by Dean. She had been thinking that maybe it was a mistake for Dean to not to go to school, to stay married. Then the next moment she was faced with Jess and all of her tepid feelings for Dean flew straight out of her mind as her scorching feelings for Jess came back. It didn't matter how much she thought she still cared for Dean, it was nothing compared to Jess.

She opened the door and found herself staring straight into Jess's eyes. It told her everything she ever needed to know. "I didn't believe you when you said you were fine." "I know how scared you are right now and you don't have to be." "Please, forgive me." "I am so sorry." "I love you." It was all she needed. It was what kept her standing with him, ready to leave with him. If his eyes weren't so blatantly telling her all of these things, she would never have stayed with him.

For the first time that night she gave Jess a smile.

"Alright," she said, wiping her damp hands on her skirt, "let's get out of here."

Jess nodded and walked to the door, stepping back and holding it out for her. A little shocked Rory stepped out into the warming air and looked around at the quaint streets.

"I like it here," she said to Jess.

"Where?"

"Here, Rhode Island," Rory said. "My grandparents take me into Newport sometimes and it's nice here. Small, but nice."

Jess looked around with a new view on it. The houses, which he thought seemed small and corny, now seemed a little bigger and filled with history.

"I think you're right," he finally said.

"I know." She smiled at him again and walked back over to the car, sliding into the seat and reaching into the paper bag, grabbing some gummy bears. "So, Grand Canyon, huh?"

"Or New York," Jess reminded her. '

"Definitely New York," Rory said, nodding her head. "So much closer and lots of places to go and to see."

They drove in silence for most of the ride into the city. It wasn't until they had reached the New York border that he finally worked up the courage to say something, anything to break her uneasy silence.

"Are you regretting coming with me?" he asked. "I could bring you back-"

"No," she answered quickly, a little too quickly in her opinion and felt her body soften. "I'm just thinking…"

"About?"

"You. When you left. Whether or not I can ever truly trust you with my heart again."

"Rory-"

"No, Jess, let me speak."

"Alright," he said, noticing a park they could go to. He slowed down and turned in. Rory, noticing what he was doing, waited for him to pay the three dollar entrance fee and drive through the trees until they were in relative solitude. Then she turned towards him.

"Jess…" she trailed off, not sure of where to start. "I love you. I still love you, despite everything that you've done to me, I still love you more than you could ever imagine. But…" she trailed off again. " but you broke me. I mean you really broke me. I felt like crap for the longest time. I second guessed myself constantly, wondering what I did wrong to make you hate me so much. It didn't matter that no matter what I did I still loved you still. And I do love, but I think I hate you more than any other person in the world. You made me fall in love with you, you kept hanging around, making it impossible for me to shake my feelings of you. You basically sabotaged my relationship with Dean and then you treated me like crap. I mean you really treated me just badly." She took a deep shuddering breath.

"I would have stayed with you forever, Jess. I would have married you one day. I would have gone wherever you wanted me to go. I would have been there with you, supported you through anything that you were going through. It hurt for me to realize that you couldn't come to me with your problems, that you felt I wouldn't understand. You could have told me about the prom, I would have understood. I would have understood about school. I would have understood everything, Jess.

"What I can not understand is how you can come to the conclusion that simply bailing on me, embarrassing me, proving my mother and the rest of the town right , would have been the right thing to do. I figured I meant more to you and that you would have treated me better than you did. Our relationship deserved more respect than you just leaving. I deserved better than that.

"I keep replaying that day when I saw you on the bus. I wonder what would have happened if I had stayed on the bus with you. Would I have gone with you? Would I convince you to stay? Would you lose your nerve? WHAT would have happened. Maybe we'd still be together, I don't know. What I do know is that you left and I was forced to come to terms with that. I did.

"I was just getting over you, Jess. I had just started healing and feeling better about myself and you come back and I realized…I realized…" she trailed off, looking at him. "I realized that no matter how much space and how much time you put in between us, it isn't going to work. I love you Jess Mariano, no matter how much you tug me around. You could leave me again, I could marry someone else, and it wouldn't matter in the least bit because the second you show up I'd fall in love again.

"I've come to the conclusion, after much speculation, that I'll never get over you. We're one of those couples who are meant to be together forever. You could hurt me in every possible way and I'll still love with you, it's as simple as that."

Jess stopped staring straight ahead and slowly turned towards Rory and where she was sitting, staring at her hands. She raised her head at almost the same moment Jess turned his back to hers and their eyes clicked, sending a jolt of familiarity straight through him, making his hand clench on the staring wheel.

"I'm helplessly in love with you. And it scares me, Jess, because I know you've hurt me before and you can do it again and I'm afraid I won't be able to pick myself up this time. If you were to leave again, I have no idea what will happen to me."

Jess was on top of her before she could say anything else. He tugged her close to him, kissing her hard on the lips like he wanted to do since he first saw her that day in Stars Hollow. She seemed rigid at first and he pulled back, ready to stop when she pushed his head back down to her.

"Say you love me, Jess Mariano," Rory whispered against his lips.

"I love you, Rory Gilmore," he said without hesitation. "I have and will always love you. Please believe I will never hurt you ever again. I'm back for good…if you're willing to have me. I just need you to trust me again."

"If I didn't trust you do you think I'd be here with you?" Rory asked, looking into his eyes and feeling a pang in her stomach. "Maybe before, maybe even tonight, I didn't trust you, but now I do. I really think you've changed. You don't have to convince me, I can see it in your eyes. They're more exposed than usual. It's almost as though I can see straight through to your soul…" She giggled. "How corny was that?"

"Incredibly," Jess murmured, shifting in discomfort. "Do you want to…"

"Let's take this into the backseat," Rory said, getting desperate as he unknowingly wiggled against her one to many times. He hesitated. He hadn't known what Rory was up to lately but he didn't want to do anything she would later regret with a passion.

"Are you sure-" he began and looked into her eyes. She stared back at him steadily and nodded firmly.

"I am," she replied, nodding her head.

Jess looked at her and shook his head once.

"I can't."

"Oh," Rory said, trying to dissect her current emotions. "Do you mean you can't emotionally or are you impotent or something-"

"Rory, I don't want to do this in the back of my car next to an empty pizza container and a pair of old shoes," Jess snapped. "You were right. You deserve better than that."

And that was how Rory knew Jess had really changed.

"I think I saw a hotel about a mile back," she said vaguely. Jess turned towards her, thinking she had probably changed her mind. "It's late and you shouldn't drive so much. We should take a break."

"Ok," Jess said and drove out of the park, hotel bound.

A/N Please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

Jess turned into the parking lot slowly and came to a stop. Rory had been silent since they had left the park, her head was bent almost as though in shame. He knew better than to ask her if she was fine, she was bound to lose her patience soon if he kept asking that. He just wished she was as open and honest with him as she was before. She used to tell him everything. He really must have shattered her trust for her to be so closed off with him.

"I'll get us a room," Jess said more to himself than to her. She didn't reply, simply looked around the room and smiled to herself. It wasn't a bad hotel, it was on the smaller side. The rooms were only fifty dollars a night, which just told Rory not to touch anything fishy looking.

Try as she might, she couldn't get her head to wrap around the moment they had back in the car. She had let her self control get away from her again and it had almost resulted in her deflowering. She blushed at the thought of him touching her, at her disappointment when he pulled back.

She turned around to see him coming towards her, obviously flustered about something. He turned back once and glared at the snotty man behind the desk before turning back to her.

"What's the matter?" she asked curiously.

"They only have one available room," Jess said furiously. "Floors one and three-ten are having their rugs cleaned tonight. We're not allowed up there and a group of Chinese tourists pretty much booked floor two except room 202."

"Oh…well, that's fine," Rory said, walking ahead of him towards the elevator. She pushed the button and waited edgily for it to open.

They rode to floor two in silence, and through the halls still quiet. When they got to the room, Jess ran the card through the slot and waited for the green light to appear. He opened the door, gazing around with an appraising eye.

"Nice," Rory commented lightly, almost jokingly. She walked past him and threw her bag down on the small chair in the corner. She turned to Jess with a smile. "This'll do."

"Right," Jess said, also throwing his down and glancing around the room again. He walked over to the bathroom and opened the door, just to peek in and see what it was like. He sighed and took in the sight of the room from the angle he was at.

It was large enough to accommodate at least four people comfortably. The bed was at least a double, with a big wooden headboard. The windows were on either side of the bed overlooking the street. There was a dresser in front of the bed with a large television.

Rory glanced at her watch and saw with a jolt it was almost one in the morning.

"We should get some sleep," she said awkwardly, looking at the bed doubtfully.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Jess said instantly, holding out his hand for a pillow. She tossed him one and took off her coat, settling back into the covers. Jess gave her a half smile and turned off the lightly, laying down on the floor.

"Goodnight, Jess."

"'Night, Rory."

Sometime between two and four in the morning Rory couldn't sleep. Not only had she shut off her phone, for fear that her mother would call and make her change her mind, but Rory was desperately confused. Also, Jess seemed uncomfortable, so much so that she doubted he had slept at all.

She slid out of bed and went around to where Jess was scrunched up on the small rug under him. She bent down, hearing her knees crack, and pushed his shoulder, waking him.

"What?" he said blearily, sounding as though he may have just dozed off.

"Come into the bed," she said, looking into his eyes. "You're not comfortable and I can't sleep unless I know you're going to be comfortable." Jess looked at her for a moment. "Jess, I am only giving you five seconds before I go back to bed, turn over and try to forget about you."

"Alright," he said in defeat, getting up and walking over to the bed. He paused long enough to take off his jacket, which he hadput on to try and give him some more cusion,tossing it onto the chair across the room. Rory watched him silently and before she could stop herself her hands had gone to his arms and ran up and down them, feeling his skin. They were silent for a moment, just staring at each other before Jess said, "We should get some sleep."

"Yeah," Rory said, disappointed yet again. She got back into the bed, feeling it get pushed down once more as Jess rolled in, giving a soft groan of comfort. She smiled to herself in the darkness, turning on her side and trying to get some sleep.

Jess lay in silence, knowing he wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon. Rory's body was warmer than the covers, which were questionably itchy. He sighed, discomforted, and rolled over, facing Rory. She was breathing peacefully, obviously asleep. He watched her arm raise and then fall again, wondering what she was dreaming about.

The next thing Jess knew, it was eight in the morning and Rory was staring at him as he slept. He blinked once and rubbed his eyes, sitting up.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"Eight."

"How long have you been up?" He swung his legs out of the bed and glanced around, a bit confused to where they were.

"About twenty minutes." Rory's voice sounded amused. "You make little noises in your sleep." Jess internally groaned and felt his cheeks heat up.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, trying to hide his embarrassment by going into the bathroom. He came out again a moment later to see that she was still amused by this bit of information. "You don't make any noise."

"No," Rory said, a smile on her lips. "My mother always said-" She broke off, her face going pale. "I forgot to call my mother."

"Were you supposed to?" Jess asked curiously.

"Yes," Rory said, hitting her head and getting out of bed, slowly starting to panic. "She must have been so worried! Oh, God! What if she got so scared she came up to the dorm and saw that it was empty? She would call everyone and eventually call my grandmother. My Grandmother would tell her I was going out with that what's-his-face. My mother would contact him and he would tell her that he left me at the bar." Rory stopped to take a gulp of air. "She's going to think I was kidnapped or something!"

"Calm down," Jess instructed, handing her the phone she had dropped onto the bed. "Just tell her you're alright."

"She's going to ask where I am," Rory said, feeling herself blush. "What should I say?" Jess had a calculating expression on his face as he looked at her. She knew he was trying to read her mind at that very moment, she still knew him so well.

"I don't know," Jess said finally, a small shrug rolling off his shoulders. "Tell her what you'll think she'll believe."

"Not much…"

"Call her," he repeated, "before we see your picture on the news."

"Right," Rory said taking the phone and going straight to her Voicemail.

"You have…twenty-three new messages," it said, the robotic voice going on to tell her her options. She sighed impatiently and stabbed the seven button, listening to the first message.

"Hi, kid, it's your mother, the one who sat in a bed with carebear socks and waited for twenty-seven painstaking hours for you to come out. Um, I haven't heard from you today so I thought I'd call, seeing as you didn't call me. I'm a little hurt, I must admit. Listen, just call me back. I'm about to walk into Al's."

The next message was shorter.

"Hey you. It's me again. It's about forty-five minutes later and still, nothing. Is something wrong? Do you need me to come up or what? Listen, just call me. I'm getting worried."

There were five more messages like that until:

"Ok, it is now eleven and you haven't called, Paris hasn't seen you and the snooty security guard at your hall has already told me twice that no one has been in the building since he came on shift. That was about three hours ago. Listen, call me. I am officially worried."

There were another three messages like that.

"Rory, this is your grandmother speaking. I was just wondering where on Earth you are! Your mother just called me, frantic. She woke up your grandfather and I telling us that she hasn't heard from you all day! I told her you went out with that boy. She's upset with me now, so if you would be so kind as to call your mother, even if you are fighting, and tell her where you are."

"Rory, this is your grandmother again. That boy told me he left you at the bar! Where are you? Please, call someone. I don't care what time you get this message I want you to call me or your grandfather. We'll wait up."

"Rory, this is Lane, your mom just came by. She said she hasn't heard from you and that your phone is shut off. She then told me that you went to a bar with a boy who returned without you! Are you alright? Please, call me. I'll wait up."

"Rory this is your mother. I am officially freaking out! I have run all over Connecticut and no one has seen you. Please be asleep at a library or something! I don't know where to look for you anymore!"

Rory rubbed her forehead and dialed her mother's number. It rang once before-

"Rory!" Lorelai's relieved voice filtered over the line to Rory. "Where are you? Are you safe? Are you dying? In a hospital? What? Please, tell me what is the matter!"

"I am so sorry, mom," Rory said, feeling herself get wet in the eyes. Jess gave her a sideways glance before quietly exiting the room, heading for some coffee. "I should have called you. I am so sorry."

"No, it's alright, you're safe. Right? You are safe, right?"

"Yes, I am perfectly healthy and well," Rory said, tucking some hair behind her ear and wiping an eye. "Mom, I need to tell you something."

"Oh, my God, you've been kidnapped! There's a gunman holding a gun to your head, isn't there? Quick, tell me a codeword and I'll come get you-"

"Mom, please," Rory said. "I just needed to tell you-Oh, I should call grandma and grandpa."

"I'll call them in a minute…actually-" There was a rustling sound and then: "Sookie? Call my parents, their number is on the fridge labeled 'Antichrist.' Call them and tell them that Rory just called and she fell asleep in the library."

Rory bit her lip nervously.

"See? That is the lie we shall stick to until you tell me where the hell you are and what the hell happened to my daughter last night." Lorelai's voice was no longer filled with relief, but anger. "Now, I want the truth where are you?"

"New York."

"New York," Lorelai repeated slowly. "Who are you with? Dean?"

"No," Rory whispered. "Mom, don't get mad…"

There was silence from the other end of the line. Lorelai gasped suddenly.

"Rory, are you alone? Did something happen with that boy last night? Did he hurt you? Please, talk to me!" Lorelai cried, her voice full of desperation and confusion. She sounded angry that Rory wasn't coming outright and telling her.

"Nothing happened with that boy last night," Rory said wearily.

"Tell me what happened."

"He and all of the friends that showed up with him got incredibly drunk. I refused to go home with him and I had no other ride. I called Dean-"

"But he isn't there with you now, right? He's married, Rory-"

"Dean isn't here mom." Rory said. "Um…well, Dean picked me up and brought me home and then…well, er…Jess showed up."

"Oh, no. No."

"And we talked, I swear, all we did last night was talk…"

"Alone. You talked with Jess alone in New York and didn't bother to call anyone to tell them where you were?"

"Yes," Rory said miserably.

"I'm not even going to go into all the things you did wrong last night," Lorelai said furiously. "Let's just touch upon a few. You disappeared. You didn't tell anyone where you were. Your grandfather didn't go into work this morning because he was too worried thinking that his granddaughter, his responsible granddaughter was dead, or dying or hurt. The Hartford police got an earful from your grandmother until they went out LOOKING for you. You went to New York with Jess….let's see, anything else?"

"If it makes you feel any better I have a horrible hangover," Rory mumbled meekly.

"Rory, this isn't funny," Lorelai said softly. "Nothing is funny about this. You had me so worried! I thought you were gone. I thought someone had taken you into an alley and did something to you! I thought I had a kid who had enough sense not to run off with an ex-boyfriend without so much as calling!"

"You do," Rory said desperately. "I made a mistake. I'm sorry, mom."

"When are you coming home? Today? Tonight? Right now?"

"I don't know."

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore!" Rory nearly fell off the bed. In all nineteen years of life her mother had never, ever called her by her full name, let alone Lorelai.

"He said he loved me," Rory whispered. There was silence from Lorelai. Finally, after a moment or so, she spoke.

"I know you think that he's changed, that he's going to be better to you, but he's not, Rory. I admit he seemed more mature when he came back. Luke said he paid off all his debts, he has a job and an apartment…but, Rory. He broke your heart, remember?"

"I remember," Rory said. "Don't you think I thought of that, mom? Don't you think I have more sense than to just jump back with him if I wasn't sure that everything was going to be alright?"

"I don't know," Lorelai said angrily, "I thought you had so much more sense than to do what you did last night, but I was obviously wrong."

"Please don't be mad anymore-"

"Did you sleep with him?"

"What?"

"Did you sleep with him? Did you have sex?"

"Mom!"

"Rory-"

"No!" Rory cried. "Well, alright, we slept together but not the way you're thinking. We stopped at a hotel and the manager washed the rugs last night and the Chinese tourists took up most of the rooms. They only left one and we took it."

"Rory, I don't know what to think anymore. Here I was thinking I had this amazing, responsible kid who did everything right…but then I see that I have a daughter who thinks too much with her heart and isn't thinking things through."

"I'm a lot like you, mom," Rory said.

"Yeah," she replied. "I guess."

They were silent for a moment.

"Come home," Lorelai said. "I need to see you."

"I will," Rory replied. "I'll be back in a week for the opening of the Dragonfly."

"Rory…Rory, what are you doing? Kid, what is going on with you? This is Jess, remember! This is the boy who ran out on you and never so much as called to say he was sorry. I hate to see you hurt that much again, I really do."

"Mom, I love him."

"Oh, babe," Lorelai said softly, "you've got a lot to learn about love."

"Maybe I do, but if he's willing to try, then so am I," Rory said, switching hands to hold her phone. Lorelai was quiet again. "Mom? Are you still there?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "What hotel are you in? I'm coming to pick you up-"

"Mom," Rory said firmly. "I made a choice last night. I got into his car, I let him back in. Please, let me see this through. I know when to come back."

"Will you call me?" Lorelai asked grumpily. "Like all the time?"

"It's only going to be six days, mom," Rory said, feeling a strange feeling at the thought of six days alone with Jess with no one to interrupt them.

"Please, don't do anything stupid," Lorelai pleaded. "And I just want you to know how much I hate this idea. I hate that you ran without telling me. Please, don't ever do that again. You can always call me."

"With anything?"

"Yes, anything," Lorelai said. "Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise."

"Good…Where is he?"

"I think he went to get coffee for me," Rory said.

"Well, make sure he keeps his hands where you can see them."

"Mom," Rory hissed, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I should go. Please apologize to the town and Sookie and grandma and grandpa and Lane and the Hartford police-"

"Who we all know suffered the most last night," Lorelai quipped. There was another silence. "I need to get to the Inn…or to Luke's. He was worried last night, too."

Rory groaned. "Tell him sorry, too."

"I will. Bye, kid. Call me."

"I will…and I am so sorry, mom. I will never do anything like this ever again. I promise you from the bottom of my heart. And I will make it up to you! Official Lorelai days! I'll make you breakfast in bed and rent all your favorite movies and we can terrorize Taylor!"

"It's a deal," Lorelai said, smiling into the phone. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Rory closed the phone with a snap and stared at it. She jumped when the handle on the door turned and Jess returned, a bag in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other. He awkwardly handed it to her and set the key down on the table.

"Well? How'd she take it?"

"Your picture was on the eleven o'clock news," Rory joked, sipping her coffee.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Jess joked back, looking over at her. "But, really. How'd she take it?"

"She took in expected Lorelai fashion," Rory said vaguely. "She was upset and scared last night and now…well, now she's upset and scared."

"And you? How are you feeling this morning?"

"A little hungover. My beer buzz is wearing off."

"Oh, so you were inebriated when you got into my car last night?" Jess asked.

"Well, that explains everything, doesn't it?"

"Yes, very much so," Jess said, a small smile on his face.

"So what are we doing today?"

"I have a whole day planned."

"Really?" Rory asked, interested. "What shall we be doing?"

"It's a surprise. Well, it's a surprise for you. I thought of it as I walked back from the coffee vendor down the street."

"There's a Starbucks right across the street-"

"Yeah, right, and give into that stupid, machine-like coffee factory-And you're trying to provoke me." Jess broke off, taking a sip of his coffee as he noted the amused look on Rory's face.

"You get all cute when you're upset." Rory felt herself blush and her body go rigid with embarrassment. Jess was staring at her again, that stupid, know all smirk still upon his face. "So? This day? Shall we get started?"

Rory got up and went into the shower, letting the warm water run over her. She massaged the knots out of her shoulders and got out, looking around the small bathroom for towels. She found a few under the sink, though they looked old and gross. For a moment she was hesitant to even wear one, and just walk out into the bedroom to see what Jess would do, but the sensible, shy part of her toweled off and dressed.

"Ready?" Jess asked as she came out. She nodded.

"Ready."

They stepped out into the warming air and glanced around.

"Now, we're in the very beginning of the city," Jess warned. "It's about forty-five blocks before anything interesting pops up."

"I don't care," Rory said, gazing around warmly. "I love it here."

"I thought you love Rhode Island."

"I love them both," she said with a sigh. "So, where to first?"

"I can't tell you," Jess said. "It'd ruin the surprise."

"It isn't to one of those old movie theaters were Almost Famous is playing, is it?"

"No," Jess snapped, feeling his cheeks flame up. This never happens, he thought to himself. Why does she have to have this hold on me? Everything she says or does has me on edge.

"Let's go." Rory held out her hand for him to take. He looked down at it before letting his hand slide into the spot under hers. She smiled warmly at him and began their walk, trying to ignore the frission of delight that had run through her, or the goosebumps currently on her entire body.

They walked in silence for about ten minutes until they came to a halt in front of a giant building.

"Here. This is your first surprise," Jess said. Rory looked up and gasped.

A/N Please read and review.


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